Machine for sewing looped fabrics.



No. 853,015. PATENTED MAY 7. 1907.

J. B. HIPWELL.

MACHINE FOR SEWING LOOPED FABRICS. APPLICATION FILED OUT. 1905.

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.UNITE STATS PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN B. HIPWELL, OF READING, PENN SEX ANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WINDSOR MACHINE (30., OF READING, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION.

, Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 16, 1905.

Patented May 7, 1907.

Serial No- 282,921.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN B. HIPWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Reading, county of Berks, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Sewing Looped Fabrics, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to machines such as are commonly employed for stitching together the edges of looped fabrics, and it consists in an improved slacking mechanism for the uniting stitches as particularly described in connection with the accompanying drawing illustrating a preferred application of the same to a well known form of looping machine; the'novel features being specifically pointed out in the claims.

Figure l is a partly sectional elevation of a looping machine having my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a partial plan view of the same. Fig. 8 is an enlarged diagrammatic view indicating the operation of my improved slacking attachment.

Referring briefly to the well known features of the looping machine indicated, the edges of the looped fabrics 2 2 which are to be united, are engaged upon the horizontally arranged circular series of projecting pins 8 on the ring 4, to which latter intermittent rotary movements are imparted, each equal to the spacing-apart of the successive fabricengaging pins. In connection 'with this fabric-carrying means, a vibrating needle 5 and hooked looper 6 are so operated that said needle vibrates over each pin, as they are successively moved into its line of travel, and through the projecting loops of the fabrics; while the looper delivers a pre viouslyformed loop and takes up a new loop from the needle thread in such manner as to form a chain of stitches uniting the edges of the fabric.

In order to secure required elasticity in the uniting seam it is necessary that this chain of stitches be so loosely drawn as to provide approximately the same yield as in the fabric itself; and my invention provides for securing this result in an improved manner as hereafter described with reference to the particular mechanism shown in the drawing.

In the ordinary loo ing operation, as already briefly stated, t e looper 6 delivers a thread-loop previously formed upon it, at each pass of the reciprocating needle; this being effected, as is well known in the art, by a slight transverse movement of the looper after the needle in such pass has passed through said thread-loop so as to strip it off the moving looper; and a new loop of the needle-thread being formed thereon by the return movement of the looper. In my improved slacking attachment this stripped-off thread-loop instead of remaining upon the retracting needle is delivered to a reciprocating slacking-finger 10, which is moved laterally into each loop while it is still retained upon the looper. Owing to the fact that the opening of the loop is very narrow where it joins the fabric upon the butts of the pins 3, it is necessary to pass the finger through the loop at a point some distance away from the fabric and adjacent the loo er where the width of the loop opening is su cient to insure the passage of the finger through theloop. To enable this single device (the finger 10) thus introduced to the loop at some dlstance from its base, to serve directly as a means of preventing undue tightening of the stitch, I provide for temporarily holding the loop upon it, after the latteris delivered by the looper, during the tightening movement of the needle, so that when released by the withdrawal of the finger, it will be loosely drawn as desired. As shown, this slackingfinger 10 is adjustably clamped to a carrier arm 11 pivoted at 12 to a fixed support 13, and arranged to be swung to and fro by the action of a spring l t and a cam 15 on a shaft 16 of the machine, so as to reciprocate the finger 1O transversely across the fabric-engaging pins 3 at proper times and with the proper interval of rest to receive hold, and release the thread-loop as above stated. This action of the finger 10 in effecting the loosening of the chain of uniting stitches will be readily understood by reference to Fig. 3, in which the thread-loop 20 which was previously formed upon the looper 6 and stripped therefrom by a lateral movement of the latter, is represented as held upon the slacker-finger 10 while a new 100 is formed upon the returned looper. It will be seen that the further retraction of the needle 5 Wlll merely draw the loop 20 tight upon the finger 10 until the latter is moved laterally out of engagement therewith by the action of the cam 15, after which the movement of the needle will draw up the stitch loosely as desired, so as to secure the required elasticity at the united edges of the fabric while the finger 10 is qulckly returned through the succeeding loop formed upon the looper.-

Provision is made, as shown, for regulating the distance from the fabric at which the finger 10 engages the loop, and for timing its movement, as is required for varying the looseness of the stitch, by forming the carrier arm 11 with an adjustably fixed fingerengaging end to which the finger is adjustably secured by suitable clamping screws as indicated; and by adjustably securing the cam 15 to the shaft 16, and the contacting projec tion 21 on the carrier arm, so that both the position of the finger in the loop and the timing and extent of its movement may be readily and accurately regulated.

The particular application of my invention which has been thus specifically described may obviously be modified Without materially departing therefrom.

What I claim is 1. In a looping machine the combination with the fabric-carrying pins and stitchforming mechanism comprising a reciprocating needle and a looper, of a reciprocating slacking finger and operating means whereby said finger is caused to move laterally into each successively formed loop at a point remote from the fabric, to receive the loop directly from the looper and to limit the closing of the same by the tightening movement of the needle to a determined length from the fabric until withdrawn therefrom by the reverse finger movement, said finger constituting the sole holding means for the loop during the tightening thereof substantially as set forth.

2. In a looping machine the combination with the fabric-carrying pins and stitchforming mechanism comprising a reciprocating needle and a looper, of an adjustable reciprocating finger and adjustable operating means whereby said finger is caused .to move laterally into each successively formed loop at a regulated distance from the butts of said pins, to receive the loop directly from the looper, and to hold the same for a regulated time during the tightening movement of the needle, said finger constituting the sole holdmg means for the loop during the tightening thereof substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature, in the presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN B. HIPWVELL.

Witnesses:

GEORGE D. I-Ionsr, CARRIE LUDWIG. 

